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BU named ‘military friendly’ for the third year

For Immediate Release: Nov. 11, 2016

BLOOMSBURG—Bloomsburg University of Pennsylvania has earned the title of Military Friendly School from Victory Media, publisher of GI Jobs magazine, for the third year — the first as a silver level award.

As a Military Friendly School silver level, BU is ranked in the top 10 percent of colleges, universities and trade schools in the country working to embrace military service members, veterans and spouses as students ensuring their success on campus.

According to Bob Heckrote, academic adviser for military and undeclared students, 437 military students attend BU. “Military students” are defined as current and former military personnel, their spouses and dependents, and participants in Reserve Officers’ Training Corps, known as ROTC.

To meet the needs of military students, BU provides preferred class scheduling and has established a military students lounge. The BU Student Veterans Association offers opportunities for social and educational activities and is involved in fundraisers to benefit organizations such as The Wounded Warrior Foundation and the American Red Cross.

Victory Media, celebrating its eighth year, connects the military with the civilian world. The Military Friendly Schools designation provides service members and their families with data-driven ratings about post-military education and career opportunities.

Institutions nationwide compete for the Military Friendly School designation by completing a survey of over 100 questions. This survey covers 10 categories, which include military support on campus, employment outcomes, and graduation. The responses to these surveys are scored against benchmarks across these key indicators of success. Along with the survey, additional data is independently tested by the accounting firm of Ernst and Young based upon the methodology established by Victory Media, as well as guidance from an advisory board of higher recruiting professionals.

This designation is awarded to top universities, colleges, and trade schools across that country that are going to the highest level to embrace military students and dedicate resources to ensure success in the classroom and after graduation.

Bloomsburg University is one of 14 universities in Pennsylvania’s State System of Higher Education. The university serves approximately 10,000 students, offering comprehensive programs of study in the colleges of Education, Business, Liberal Arts and Science and Technology.